🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Edit ---- silly me, they still have two years left.

Here's a thought I just had.

This is Joel's and Wiggins last year of their first contract, right?
SO, bearing that in mind. Where does everyone think they will sign next season considering all the player movements, trades, etc that happen.

I think Wiggs is set in Minnesota. They are becoming a legit post season threat in the west. Slowly but surely, they remind me of OKC and Goldenstate in their young, rebuilding years. That tandem of Wiggs and Towns will surely be great.

About JoJo. The 76ers are poised to yet again sniff the bottom of the NBA win,loss totals. If JoJo remains healthy and records stats that get him at very least, All Star consideration and rookie of the year consideration. Would another team be tempted to lure him away?
Philly doesnt have any guards. They all suck. I admit to being intrigued by the Okafor and Embiid tandem down low. Ben Simmons too, when he can play. But they have nobody in the back court that can help them break .500 Not One!
If Im JoJo and Im healthy after this break out season, I would seriously consider other options.

I do believe Wiggins will sign with Minnesota. It will be interesting to see if Kris Dunn is the missing piece they need at the guard position. Lavine has also continued to improve. I've always thought they were 1 veteran scoring threat away from being a wildcard in the playoffs. They made plenty of smart moves this summer, not sold on Thibodeau as an offensive coach as his niche has always been defense but he's an upgrade over what they have had.

With Embiid, if he plays at the level we are seeing in the Pre-Season then he should cash-out to the highest bidder. Honestly you don't want to be stuck in that organization that has Drafted Noel, Saric, Okafor & Simmons for two positions and done nothing to get better around them. It's entirely sad that an organization could be allowed to do this but whatever Sixers fans are the only one's suffering. I could see Joel being loyal to them for what they have put up with for 2 years of him not playing but for his own career he should get out as quick as he can.

I could see Wiggins go to the Raptors because he could end being one of the biggest heroes in Canadian sports if he went to the Raptors and ever led them to a title. He would also make an insane amount of money in endorsements with Canadian companies if he went to Toronto.

Looks like Wiggins is pretty secure with the Wolves and unlike they would let him go. From what I read, Embiid and Simons are seen as the future and if Embiid has a god season, Okafor and Neil would expendable and used to get the top tier PG the sorely need. Wouldn't it be great if the 76ers keep the #1 KU player and dispose of the #1 picks from U.K. And Duke?

@BeddieKU23 Colangelo has been drafting best available talent half a decade in Philly . They need to move Okafor and Noel this year. I would expect a showcase early on to prime any buyers for Okafor and then a sale, then maybe Noel at the deadline. Not before this season is in the toilet. Nobody is buying this early. and they're not going to get the value they want in a straight up young talented guard. It's going to be picks. So the season is done before it began.

I don't understand why they didn't either move some of that best available talent on draft days to fold them back into picks or try to draft at least few guards with high upside. what was the point of MCW? It's just stupid and painful.

You're right. Nobody wants to be in Philly and I hope Embiid gets the hell out.

@approxinfinity

I do get drafting best available talent but smarter GM's and organizations would have traded out of those situations and found ways to get better. Look what Boston has done by all of its patience and drafting. Move back, stock draft picks, draft talent to needs. The Sixers have not done that for many years now and they are the laughing stock of a professional league.

The one positive for Joel, where he is does give him the chance to showcase his game for a potential big contract next year. If he proves to stay healthy I can't imagine the price he might command on the open market (if the CBA rules don't prohibit one from cashing out after their rookie deal).

As much as we like Embiid and we would like him to succeed, he still is an unknown quantity. No question the talent and potential are there, the question is durability. Remember ol' man Oden? When healthy he was very good...but he never really could stay healthy for long.

The Sixers have accumulated a number of high value but redundant players; they need to start trading the duplicate talent for players that will fill the huge void they have, i,e. PG.

@JayHawkFanToo

You could say the Sixers have a huge void at every position but PF/C.

I see the comparison with Oden, valid from an durability concern. They are not similar in how they play the game though. Embiid has shown he can make NBA 3's in pre-season. Guarded John wall on a switched pick and roll situation. Embiid has talent that truly only comes around every so often

@BeddieKU23 amen! His quantity is known. The NBA season is so long, have to give the big fella some days off.

@Crimsonorblue22

I'm sure his minutes will be monitored as they have been in pre-season. They won't be competitive a lot of nights so there will be plenty of situations where Joel can rest. Just hope he stays together, he's reminded me this pre-season just how special a player he was. The other night he faked Gortat of the Wizards out his pants, Hakeem style.

@BeddieKU23

Valid points, No argument from me.

@Crimsonorblue22

I respectfully disagree; his durability is a huge unknown. He did not play even a full season in college because of injuries and he has not played for 2 years in the NBA because of the same recurring injuries. He has played limited minutes in a half dozen games which h is not enough, at least at this time, to offset all the time he has missed because of said injuries. Remember Oden? Every time he came back they said it would be for good but unfortunately for him it did not worked out that way. Until Embiid strings together a couple of full seasons without issues, the question will always be there and justifiably so.

@JayHawkFanToo

I agree the injury label will be attached to him until he proves otherwise. I do believe his injury at KU was his back? Before the draft is when he hurt the leg then re-injured the leg again if I'm correct.

It will be a shame if he never gets to fully realize his potential on the court. Modern medicine/trainers should be glued to him

@JayHawkFanToo not what I meant. I know how great he is, I know he could easily get hurt again, but he's still a great talent.